Automatic feed-hopper.



B. F. 8; M. B. ROSS'OW.

AUTOMATIC FEED HOPPER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 7, 1913.

1,088,096. Patentd Feb. 24, 1914 49- g & a

' INVENTORS .Z'naat 1717055010 iffy-{fl 17055014) BY UMTED STATES PATENTQFFICE,

ERNST- F. ROSSOW AND MARY E. ROSSOW, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

AUT OMATIC FEED-HOPPER.

eas es.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Application filed May 7, 1am. Serial No. 766,079.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ERNST F. Rossow and MARYE. Rossow, citizens of the United States, residing at Berkeley. in thecounty of Alameda and State of California, have in vented new and usefulImprovements in Automatic Feed-Hoppers, of which the following is aspecification,

This invention relates to a feed-hopper and particularly pertains to anautomatic feed-hopper for discharging granular mate rials from bunkersand other receptacles.

It is the object of this invention to provide a hopper having closableinlet and outlet openings adapted to be alternately opened and closed inrelation to each other in such manner that when the outlet opening isopen to discharge the inlet opening will be closed and vice versa.

A. further object is to provide a feedhopper which is adapted to beconnected to a bunker or other container, for the reception and deliveryof granular materials such as sand, crushed rock, coal, grain, sugar andother ground, loose or powdered substances,

which is so constructed as to obstruct the low of material into thehopper when the latter is discharging its contents so that the weight ofmaterial above the hopper will not affect the discharge therefrom.

Another object is to provide a hopper of the above character which issimple in con st-ruction, efficient and reliable in operation,economical in construction, and readily controlled either manually ormechanically.

Other objects will appearhereinafter. The invention primarily resides ina hopper having an arcuate bottom formed with a discharge opening, and aclosed top having an inlet opening, said inlet and discharge parts ashereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in end elevation ofthe hopper. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a. cross-section onthe line aa of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-?)of Fig. 3. I

In the drawings A represents the top of the hopper which may be thefloor or bottom of a bunker or other receptacle, but will hereinafter bedesignated as the top of the hopper. The sides of the hopper areindicated at 2; and comprise vertically arranged timbers constructed inthe form of a rectangle and attached to the top A.

Mounted on the lower edge of the sides 2 is a semi-cylindrical bottommember 3, preferably formed of metal, and having a rockshaft4 extendingaxially therethrough; the rock-shafts being journaled in suitablebearings 5 carried in hubs 6 formed on the vertical ends or sides of thebottom member 3. The bearings 5 are here shown as comprising graphitebushings but may be roller or other anti-friction bearings.

Rigidly mounted on the rock-shaft 4 within the hopper are collars 7having upwardly extending members 8 formed thereon, on the outer ends ofwhich members an arcuate closure plate 9 is adjustably mounted andadapted to be advanced in relation to the members 8 by means of setscrews 9, the plate 9 being formed with transverse curvature concentricwith the axis of the shaft 5. The plate 9 is designed to form a closurefor an inlet opening 10 formed in the top A of the hopper to one side ofthe vertical longitudinal center of the latter, the plate 9 howeverbeing normally positioned out of alinement with the opening 10, as shownin Fig. 3.

Secured to the shaft 5, exterior of the hopper and adjacent to the outerends of the hubs 6, are collars 11 on which are formed downwardlyextending divergent hangers 12 which terminate adjacent to the undersideof the bottom 8 of the hopper, and are secured to the ends of asegmental plate 13 disposed beneath the bottom member 3 and extendinglengthwise thereof. A wearing plate or shoe 14 is detachably secured tothe upper face of the plate 13 and has its outer face contiguous to andin slidable contact with the underside or arcual face of the hopperbottom 3; the outer or wearing face of the shoe 14 conforming to thecurvature of the bottom 3. The shoe 14 is formed of a soft metal such asbrass so as not to frictionally engage the hopper bottom; the shoe 14being set up or advanced by set screws 14, when sufficiently worn, tomaintain it in contact withthe hopper bottom.

Formed'in the hopper bottom 8 is adischarge opening 15 which ispositioned to one side of the Vertical longitudinal center of the hopperand on the side opposite to that wherein the inlet opening 10 isarranged, so as to dispose the inlet and outlet openings out of verticalalinement with each other. The discharge opening 15 is designed to benormally closed by the shoe 14 on the plate 13, as shown in Fig. 3; theshoe 14 and plate 13 being formed however with an aperture 16 adapted toregister with the dis charge opening 15 when the plate 13 is moved intothe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, as will be laterdescribed.

Connected to the hopper bottom 3, and disposed to communicate with thedischarge opening 15 when the aperture 16 in the plate 18 registerstherewith, is achute 17 which leads to any suitable point of dischargeand is preferably arranged at an angle of 60 de rees with thehorizontal; the sides of the chute being slotted adjacent to the hopperbottom to receive the plate 13 and its shoe.

Mounted on the shaft 4, between the collars 7, is a collar 18 havingprojections 19 formed thereon which extend downwardly and have a plate20 adjustably attached to their lower ends. The plate 20 and theprojections 19 constitute an agitator adapted to operate when therock-shaft 4 is actuatedto loosen packed materials in the hopper andprevent choking of the outlet opening 15.

A lever-arm 21 is attached to one end of the rock-shaft 4 by means ofwhich the shaft 4 may be rocked in its bearings. The lever-arm 21 may beoperated in any desired manner, either manually or mechanically, and maybe attached to an automatic weighing scale by means of a connecting rod22, if desired.

The lever-arm 21 is designed to be normally retained in its uppermostposition by means of a helical spring 23 arranged to exert an upwardpull on the lever-arm. It is manifest that any other means may beemployed for normally maintaining the lever-arm 21 in such position thatthe discharge opening 15 will be normally closed by the plates 13 and 14and the inlet opening 10 uncovered by the closure plate 9.

When the parts are disposed in the normal position just described, thehopper will be filled by the flow of material thereinto from above thetop A through the opening 10; the materials being prevented from passingout of the hopper by reason of the discharge opening 15 being closed.

When it is desired to discharge the materials from the hopper thelever-arm 20 is actuated in opposition to the spring 23, so as to rockthe rock-shaft 5 and thereby move the opening 16 in the plates 13 and14- into register with the opening 15 in the hopper bottom. lVhcn thisoccurs, the materials in the hopper will enter the chute 17 and beconveyed to any suitable point. When the rock-shaft 4 is thus operatedto discharge the contents of the hopper it will also operate to move theclosure plate 9 over the inlet opening 10 to prevent the flow ofmaterial into the hopper during the time the discharge opening 15remains in an open position. This prevents the weight of the body ofmaterials above the hopper from accelerating the discharge therefrom.

By arranging the inlet and discharge openings of the hopper on oppositesides of the vertical center thereof, they are positioned out ofalinement with each other so that when the closure 9 is restored to itsnormal position to uncover the inlet opening 10, the materials on beingdelivered to the hopper will not fall directly onto the closure plates13 and 14 as the latter move to close the discharge opening 15. Theclosing of the discharge opening 15 and the uncovering of the inletopening 10 is automatically effected by the action of the spring 23 onthe release of the lever-arm 21. Another advantage derived frompositioning the inlet and outlet openings of the hopper on oppositesides of the vertical center of the latter is that the closures may bemoved simultaneously in opposite directions by a single operation of therock-shaft. The openings 10 and 15, the closures therefor, and thelength of travel of the latter, are so arranged and proportioned to eachother that the openings 10 and 15 may be both partially uncovered at thesame time, so that a slow continuous feed through the hopper may beobtained if desired. For the purpose of facilitating repairs or aljustments of the parts on the interior of the hopper, a manhole havinga suitable cover 24 is provided to permit of access to the interior ofthe hopper.

This invention is particularly adapted for use for heavy work and forhandling large quantities of materials, but it is manifest that it isequally applicable for handling small quantities of light materials andcan be constructed in sizes to suit the purposes to which it is to beput.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be restorted to within the scope of theappended claims, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

As it is desirable to regulate the flow of material through the opening10, means are provided for adjusting the area of the opening 10independent of the plate 9. This means is here shown as comprising arockable shutter 25 mounted on a rock-shaft 26. The shutter 25 ispositioned above the top A and is arranged in such manner that byoperating the rock-shaft it may be oscillated and moved over the opening10 to cover or uncover the latter to the desired degree.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a feed-homer havin a semi-c lindrical bottom With a dischargeopening in the bottom and an inlet opening in the top, an adjustableclosure for the inlet opening on the interior of the hopper, anadjustable closure for the outlet opening on the exterior of the hopper,a single rock shaft on Which both of said closures are mounted tooperate in unison, said closures so arranged in relation to each otherthat When one of the hopper openings is closed the other Will be open,and means for rocking the rockshaft.

2. A feed-hopper having a closed top and a semi-cylindrical bottom Withan inlet opening in the top and a discharge opening in the bottom, saidopenings arranged out of vertical alinement with each other, a singlerock-shaft extending through the hopper, a closure for the inlet openingdisposed in the hopper and connected to the rock-shaft, an

agitator carried by the rock-shaft inside the hopper, a closure for thedischarge opening arranged exterior to the hopper, hangers connectingsaid closure to the rock-shaft, said closures so arranged in relation toeach other that when one of the hopper openings is closed the other Willbe opened, means op erating on the rock-shaft for normally maintainingthe discharge opening closed and the inlet opening open, and means foractuating the rock-shaft to uncover the discharge openi and close theinlet opening.

A feed-hopper having an inlet opening in the top and a discharge openingin the bottom, said inlet and discharge openings arranged out ofvertical alinement With each other, a rock-shaft extending into thehopper, collars secured to said shaft Within the hopper, projections onsaid collars, an arcuate plate adjustably connected to said projectionsforming the closure for the inlet opening, hangers on said shaftexterior of the hopper, a plate carried by said hangers extendingbeneath the hopper, a shoe adjustably mo nted on said plate in slidablecontact with the hopper and adapted to close When one opening is closedthe other will be opened, and means for rocking the rockshaft.

4:. A feed-hopper having an inlet opening in the top and a dischargeopening in the bottom, said inlet and discharge openings arranged out ofvertical alinement with each other, a rock-shaft extending into thehopper, collars secured to said. shaft Within the hopper, projections onsaid collars, an arcuate plate adjustably connected to said projectionsforming a closure for the inlet opening, hangers on said shaft exteriorof the hopper, a plate carried by said hangers extending beneath thehopper, a shoe adjustably mounted on said plate in slidable contact withthe hopper and adapted to close the dicharge opening, said closureplates arranged in such relation to each other that When one opening isclosed the other will be opened, means for rocking the rock-shaft, andmeans for operating the rock-shaft for normally maintaining thedischarge opening closed and the inlet opening open.

5. A feed-hopper having an inlet opening in the top and a dischargeopening in the bottom, said inlet and discharge openings arranged out ofvertical alinement With each other, a rock-shaft extending into thehopper, collars secured to said shaft Within the hopper, projections onsaid collars, an arouate plate adjustably connected to said projectionsforming the closure for the inlet opening, hangers on said shaftexterior of the hopper, a plate carried by said hangers extendingbeneath the hopper, a shoe adjustably mounted on said plate in slidablecontact With the hopper and adapted to close the discharge opening, saidclosure plates arranged in such relation to each other that when oneopening is closed the other will be opened, means for rocking therock-shaft, means for operating the rock-shaft for normally maintainingthe discharge opening closed and the inlet opening open, and agitatingmeans carried by the rock-shaft within the hopper.

6. In a hopper having a closed top portion and a semi-cylindrical bottomportion With inlet and discharge openings in the top and bottom portion,respectively, arranged out of vertical alinement with each other, ashaft extending through the hopper, an arcuate plate adjustably mountedin relation to the shaft within the hopper and adapted to travel in thearc of a circle to alternately open and close the inlet opening in thetop of the hopper, a closure plate extending beneath the hopper andattached to the rockshaft, adapted to alternately open and close thedischa ge opening, said closure plate and arcuate plate so arranged inrelation to each other on the rock-shaft that When the discharge openingis closed the intake opening will be opened and vice versa, means fornormally maintaining the discharge opening closed, and means for rockingthe rock-shaft to open the discharge opening.

7 In a hopper having a closedtop portion and a semi-cylindrical bottomportion with inlet and discharge openings in the top and bottom portion,respectively, arranged out of vertical alinement with each other, ashaft extending through the hopper, an arcnato plate adjustably mountedin relation to the shaft within the hopper and adapted to travel in thearc of a circle to alternately open and close the inlet opening in thetop of the hopper, a closure plate extending beneath the hopper andattached to the rockshaft adapted to alternately open and close thedischarge opening, said closure plate and arcuate plate so arranged inrelation to each other on the rock-shaft that When the discharge openingis closed the intake opening will be opened and vice versa, means fornormally maintaining the discharge opening closed, means for rocking therock-shaft to open the discharge opening, and means on the rocleshaftfor agitating materials within the hopper.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ERNST F. ROSSOVV. MARY E. ROSSOVV. lVitnesses JOHN H. HERRING, IRVINESINNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Yatents,

Washington, D. G.

